Communication is a process of passing or conveying information from one person or group to the other. It involves the exchange of thoughts, information or message through various channels. For communication to be complete there must be the message, the sender, the means and the recipient. However, it is not always a must for the receiver to be present or aware of the intention of the sender. The various channels used in communication are also referred to as types of communication which include:

Verbal Communication

This type of communication is sometimes referred to as oral communication. This is because it involves the use of words, sounds and speaking in order to pass the message across to other parties. On the other hand this type of communication uses the word of mouth in order to pass the message or information to the receiver. Language forms an important aspect in oral communication. This is because the language that is used in passing information must be well understood by the two parties who are involved in the process. There are various forms of oral communication which include the following:

Face-to-Face Communication

This is where the sender and the receiver are in the same environment and understand the same language or if not there is a translator. The sender will convey the information/message and the recipient will just listen and respond once the sender is done. In some cases the receiver may interject if there is a point that he/she wants to put across. This method is widely used in the world either at family level, friendship level and business level among other areas. In this method, gestures can also be used, facial expressions and tonal variation in order to effectively put the message across to the receiver or audience. Language and noise form some of the barriers to effective face to face communication.

Phone Communication

This is where information is conveyed through the use of minicomputers called phones. The sender will make a call to the intended person, once the receiver answers the call, then talking will set in.

Video

With the advancement of technology, videos can be used in passing information from the sender to the receiver. This may include use of social media such as facebook and Skype to pass the message across. This means that both parties must have gadgets which allow video communication and internet.

Conferencing

This is another type of oral communication which is used in conveying information amongst many people for example in business related communication or family.

Voice Chatting

An obvious form of verbal communication

Teaching/Lecturing

This for of communication is used for one person to teach another or group of persons some information or a new skill.

Nonverbal Communication

This is a type of communication where the passage of information or message does not use the word of mouth. It is sometimes referred to as sending wordless information from the sender to the receiver. It may involve the following categories:

Written Communication

In this type of communication, the sender writes down the message/information that he/she wants to pass across to the recipient. There are various forms of written communication which may be either formal or informal depending on where it is used. They include:

• Letters - this is one of the oldest methods of communication and falls into two categories of formal or informal. The sender will put down his/her message in writing and send it through post or courier to the recipient. The recipient will receive it, read it and respond.
• Books – they have been widely used to pass the message across for a long period of time and still remain very much in use despite the advancement in technology.
• Magazines – they have a longer lifespan as compared to newspapers and are used to deliver specific information such as beauty among others.
• Memos – used in offices
• Newspapers
• Personal journals
• Texts or SMS
• Emails

Visual Communication

This type of communication makes use of visual aids to pass the message/information from the sender to the receiver. These visual aids that are used in communication may include:-

• Graphs – can be used to give a relationship of various variables which if analyzed by the receiver, it will make meaning.
• Signs – for example road signs help in passing information to road users hence controlling traffic.
• Drawings – drawings are always used in passing specific information to specific people.
• Colors – different colors mean differently hence when used for instance red, conveys feelings of passion or love.

Electronic media such as television are also among other visual communication aids.

There you have a complete list of the different types of communication. If I’ve forgotten anything, let me know in the comments.